Square One Burger is nestled in a little corner of Henderson Ave. just past the intersection with Swann in South Tampa. So nestled, in fact, that it would be easy to miss. But missing it would be a shame.
Offering burgers made from just about any meat one can imagine being placed between two sides of a sesame seed bun, their menu offers a wide variety of classic American drive-thru fare with a classy twist.
The atmosphere sets the tone for the upscale feel. Dark woodwork and stone walls lend themselves to intimate booths.
Cupcakes on stands adorn the half-walls, dividing the dining room into sections, and imploring customers to save room for dessert.
After perusing the 20 or so types of burgers offered (buffalo, ostrich, chicken or pulled pork), I decided to try the Theta burger, a tempting blend of Angus beef, dill pickles, mayo, barbecue sauce and cheddar cheese, coleslaw as a side, and a “50/50” as an appetizer (half regular french fries, half sweet potato fries). I asked if I could have the fries and the sandwich at the same time. My server said, “Of course.”
Unfortunately, though, he came back moments later to inform me that my 50/50 was ready, and he wanted to know if I wanted it right then.
Well, no, I wanted it with the burger, but as I can’t stand cold food, I told him, “Okay.”
He came back quickly with the two largest orders of fries I had ever seen.
They were perched in a sort of stand, with two cones of fries hanging off each side.
The order came with a side of chipotle ketchup, which tasted a lot like salsa. It had quite a bit of spice to it, and didn’t really compliment either type of fry.
I would have preferred some kind of sweet dipping sauce to go along with the sweet potato fries, perhaps something with brown sugar or cinnamon.
The burger arrived not long after the fries: a giant bun encasing an Angus patty oozing barbecue sauce and mayo. I couldn’t wait to dig in. Although it was cooked a little under medium well (the temperature I had ordered), it was very tasty and surprisingly juicy. Next time, however, I’ll be sure to order lettuce on the burger; it seemed to be missing a nice crunch to the texture.
The coleslaw served with the burger was the healthiest looking slaw I have ever seen.
It was light on the dressing, the greens were very fresh and it had a good amount of peppery flavor to it to counteract the sweet barbecue sauce.
Overall, I walked away happy from Square One Burger, and will definitely go back soon to try another of their many offerings.
Moriah Parrish can be reached at mparrish@spartans.ut.edu.